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	Friday Night Lights
	Peter Berg Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lee Jackson, Lee Thompson Young, Tim McGraw, Grover Coulson, Connie Britton, Connie Cooper 2004		More like a documentary than other inspired-by-true-events, against-the-odds sports films such as "Remember the Titans," "Friday Night Lights" taps into the fervor bred by high-school football in the arid wilds of West Texas. The basis for "Friday Night Lights" was H.G. Bissinger's book of the same name, which profiled the 1988 Permian High Panthers from the rundown rural town of Odessa, Texas, as the squad vied for the state championship. Whether or not the team succeeded, the movie is a triumph of mood, character, and on-field drama that feels genuine. Even the familiar face of actor Billy Bob Thornton doesn't undermine the legitimacy of his well-modulated turn as staunch Panthers coach Gary Gaines. Director/co-screenwriter Peter Berg uses hand-held cameras for personal moments with the coach, the players, their friends, their families and local fans. Then, he reproduces game footage with a blend of arty slo-mo and slam-bang real-time clips common to NFL Films, reinforcing the movie's non-fictional aspects. West Texas is an area where football is like a religion its followers hold as sacrosanct. Accordingly, "Friday Night Lights" pays close attention to the way the hopes and aspirations of the Panthers influence daily life in a typical U.S. small town, where economic, emotional and racial hardship can dash dreams of athletic stardom as easily as untimely injuries.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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